來源:中國日報網
深更半夜忽然想大吃一頓，冰箱裡卻沒有存貨，怎麼辦？德國人不用為此發愁，因為他們有香腸自動售貨機。這種售貨機24小時營業，不但出售德式香腸，還出售雞蛋、牛奶等其他生鮮食品，大大方便了上班族。
[Photo/Pexels]
Food cravings don't operate on a set schedule. They can strike at any time, like during the late-night hours when most businesses are closed for the day. As the Independent reports, Germany has come up with an ingenious solution to this common inconvenience: 24-hour sausage vending machines that are accessible when the butcher is away.
對美食的渴望是不定點的，說來就來，比如說，你可能會在大多數商店都已關門的深夜時分忽然想吃一種東西。據《獨立報》報道，對於這種常見的吃貨小煩惱，德國人已經想出了一個絕妙的解決辦法，那就是24小時香腸自動售貨機，即使賣肉商販不在，你也能買到肉食。
The miniature meat markets have become popular in recent years outside German cities. Butchers and other purveyors of fresh food close early in rural parts of the country, which can make grocery shopping difficult for people who work typical hours. The sausage vending machines are always open for business, so customers can pick up their meat for the week's meals (or for an impromptu midnight snack) at the time that works best for them. There were more than 500,000 such machines servicing Germany's carnivores as of 2020, according to NPR.
這種香腸售貨機近幾年在德國鄉鎮地區變得很流行。德國鄉下的屠夫和生鮮供應商關店時間早，使得正常時間上班的人難以買到這些食品。但是香腸自動售貨機24小時都營業，無論顧客是要選購平日吃的肉食，還是一時興起想吃夜宵，都可以在方便的時間過來購買。據美國國家公共廣播電臺報道，截至2020年，德國已經有50多萬臺這樣的肉食售貨機。
The automated vendors are famous for stocking products like bratwurst and bockwurst, but their inventories aren't limited to German sausage. Patrons can pick up other essentials like eggs, milk, produce, and butter, as well as prepared sides like potato salad for a full meal. The meats are vacuum-sealed and the machines are temperature-controlled, so shopping from them is just as safe as buying from the butcher.
這種自動售貨機以出售德式小香腸和煙燻香腸等產品著稱，但是他們的庫存不僅限於德國香腸。顧客還可以在售貨機上購買其他必需品，比如雞蛋、牛奶、農產品、黃油，還有土豆沙拉這種現成的正餐配菜。肉製品是真空包裝的，售貨機也有控溫功能，因此從售貨機購買就和從肉商那裡購買一樣安全。
After taking off in Germany, the trend has spread overseas. In June 2021, Hermann, Missouri, welcomed a German-built vending machine stocked with smoked meat products. Getting German sausage at the push of a button may have been a first for the state, but the US has experimented with unconventional vending machines in the past. Los Angeles has hosted a caviar machine, and for customers with smaller budgets, a ready-to-eat burrito vending machine.
香腸自動售貨機在德國興起後，這股潮流也吹到了國外。2021年6月，美國密蘇里州赫爾曼市引進了一臺德國製造的煙燻肉製品自動售貨機，這是該州首臺出售德國香腸的售貨機。不過美國過去也曾試用過非傳統售貨機，洛杉磯就曾推出過魚子醬售貨機和價格實惠的即食墨西哥捲餅售貨機。
英文來源：Mental Floss
翻譯&編輯：丹妮
